Thanks a lot guys! And we appreciate your support and promo to the band! It’s our pleasure to talk to you again! This is Fragiskos Samoilis answering the questions. I am the new drummer of
the band since October of 2010.

In 2010, the latest album NO TURNING BACK has been released after an interval of four years. Why you took the time until the release?

2010年に4年ぶりに No Turning Back というアルバムをリリースしていますが、前作からなぜ時間がかかってしまったのですか？

Franki

Well, releasing an album doesn’t always have to do with inspiration only. There are many exogenous factors that affect a release. The years following the releases of “Silent Faces”
and “Inner Strength” were quite busy for the band. Live shows, promo stuff and of course the search of a new label, are some reasons for that delay. But I think this interval turned
out good for the band. And you can tell that by listening to “No Turning Back”, which in my opinion is the best effort of INNERWISH so far. I believe that our new album will come out
sooner than in 4 years time. Actually we begin working on new songs as we speak.

Tell us about the back ground that you have moved to the new music label in Sweden. Any particular reasons?

スウェーデンの新レーベルに移籍した背景を教えてもらえますか？特別な理由でもあったのですか？

Franki

Since it was time to find a new label, Ulterium Records made us believe and also proved, that it was the best choice for us. It might be a new label and not a major one, but their work is
absolutely professional and we are more than satisfied from our corporation so far. They love INNERWISH, believe in us and try to show it in every way they can. And in my opinion is better
you are in a label with fewer bands, and not so many releases, than being in a major label releasing dozens of album every month. In Ulterium INNERWISH are treated as priority and this is a
benefit both for the band and the label. I have nothing to say against Ulterium. Only good stuff.

George Georgiou, our keyboard player, is in the band since 2007 and does an excellent job. As you said, the wide and depth in our music has been increased and this also gives us a wider range
of composing freedom. I believe that in “No Turning Back” someone can easily understand the difference both in the sound, but also in the musical direction of the band. Keyboards are
very useful in this type of metal music and since it works well, there no reason not having them.

Riffs and melody are important materials to the band. What is the most concern when you make a song to your band?

バンドにとってリフとかメロディは重要な素材ですが、INNER WISH ではどんな点に気をつけて曲作りをしていますか？

Fragiskos Samoilis

Franki

First of all, when you make a song, you should be the first to like it! If you create music just to please others and don’t please yourself, the result isn’t the best one. Riffs and melody
are important materials in general to the genre we belong, if we can say that. All of us like melodies, like riffs (that’s why we love heavy metal after all), and even though we might listen
to different types of music and bands as individuals, riffs and melodies are the common elements we all love. Thymios (Krikos) and Manolis (Tsigos), our guitar players, are the main composers
of the band and they could answer this question with more details, but the bottom line I believe is what I told you. When you make a song, you should be the first one to like it. You make
music first of all for you, and then for the fans.

Thank you very much! “Burning Desires” is one of my favorite songs of the album too, together with “Last Breath” and “Chosen One”. The main reason picking up that
song for a music video, is that it’s the song with the most addictive chorus on the album, had the potential of being lets say a “hit song” of the album and represents quite enough the
difference in the sound of “No Turning Back” comparing to the previous material of the band. It’s a song we love playing live, and as we can tell from the reactions of the people in
our live shows, it was the best choice for a video. The video was directed by Bob Katsionis (of FIREWIND fame), who did a great job, and was shot in an old thatre in Athens. I wasn’t there
during the shootings, since I entered the band later, so I don’t know any episodes from the shooting, but since everyone is alive, I believe that everything went right! :)

Hahaha! Well, that’s something you will have to ask Babis about. But I don’t think he is going to have long hair again! Especially if people continue compliment his new short-haired look!
:) Seriously, I think the long-haired times of Babis belong to the past.

This is a tricky one. Every single one of us listens to a lots of different stuff/bands and artists. I won’t tell you artists and bands but mostly genres. One genre we have in common is
traditional heavy metal with bands like ACCEPT, CRIMSON GLORY, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, DIO etc. Thymios (Krikos) listens also to some more modern stuff like AMON AMARTH for example,
Manolis (Tsigos) also loves more hard rock/AOR oriented type of music, Antonis (Mazarakis – bass) is also fond of more hard rock stuff as also some thrash metal stuff, especially in the
old-school way, George (Georgiou) and Babis (Alexandropoulos) are in the same vain with the rest of the band. As for myself, I like mostly heavy/power metal stuff like HELLOWEEN, BLIND
GUARDIAN, SYMPHONY X etc, folk metal acts like ELUVEITIE and SKYCLAD, more modern stuff with AMORPHIS being my top band and of course many metal acts in general such as TESTAMENT, DEATH, BOLT
THROWER, old IN FLAMES, DARK TRANQUILLITY, NIGHTWISH, etc. Whatever sounds good to my ears! :)

We hope to see you in Japan soon. Could we have a comment for your Japanese fan?

近いうちに日本で会えたら嬉しいと思いますが、日本のファンに一言コメントをもらえますか？

Franki

We hope we will be able to come someday in Japan. It’s difficult but not impossible. And personally it’s a dream for me to play in Japan. Japan is a great place for heavy metal bands,
especially in the last 10 years, with many and crazy metalheads! You keep the metal spirit in the East alive and we are looking forward meeting you. And to our Japanese fans, I only have to
say this… metal on and keep it alive! Thank you for all the support until now and we hope to meet you soon! Take care!